Olympic champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen was set to fly from a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital to one in Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, 12 days after she severed her spine in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

“[The neurosurgeon] told [husband] Tom and I to say our goodbyes,” she said, according to the newspaper. “There was a good chance I wasn’t going to make it out of surgery. It was one of those things where I looked at my husband and basically said, ‘I love you, goodbye, please continue on with your life.’ I allow you to date, which was hard to say. To do that and then to be here now and to be with him is the most amazing thing.”

Van Dyken-Rouen has paralysis in her legs and broken ribs, in addition to the severed spine, according to the report.

“I’m excited to get to this new part of my life,” Van Dyken-Rouen said. “It’s almost like a rebirth. I get to learn how to do everything all over again. I’m anxious to do that. It’s time to start so I can get back to Arizona and start my new life, I guess.”

Van Dyken-Rouen has provided updates over the last week on Twitter and Instagram.